howe he gouerned suche as were vnder him[,] howe he prospered / & what fortune he had in suche thynges as he went about. Example here of is in Saluste / whiche compareth together Cato and Cesar / sayeng that bothe theyr stocke / age and eloquence were almoste lyke and egall / theyr excellencie[1] and greatnes of spirite and wytte was also lyke and egal / and lyke fame and worshyppe had they bothe attayned howe be it nat by a lyke waye. Ceser was had in great estymacyon for his benefites and liberalyte. Cato had gotten hym a name for his perfyght & vpryght lyuynge. Cesar was praysed for his gentilnes and pitie. Cato was [B vii b] honored for his ernestnes and surete.
The tother wanne moche bruyt by gyuynge large gyftes / by helpynge suche as were in dystresse, and by forgiuyng of trespasses done agaynste hym. Catous fame dyd s[p]rede be cause he wold neither be forgyuen of none offence / neither forgiue non other / but as any man had deserued / so to cause him to be delt with. In the one was great refuge to suche as were in mysery: In the other was sore punysshement and pernicion to mysdoers and euyl tran[s]- gressours of the law. Briefly to conclude it was al Ceazars mynde and pleasure to labour dilygently nyght and daye in his frendes causes / to care lesse for his owne busynes than theyrs / to deny nothynge that was worthy to be asked / his desyre was euermore to be in werre / to haue a great hoost of men vnder his gouernaunce / that by his noble and hardy fayctes his valyantnes myght be the more knowen & spred abrod. Contraryly all Catous study was on temperaunce / and to do in no maner otherwyse than was conuenjent & fettynge[2] for suche a man as he was / and chiefly he sette his mynde to seueryty[;] he neuer made no comparison with the riche man in richesse / nor with the myghty man in power. But yf nede required / with the hardy man in boldnes / [B viii a] with the temperate in moderacyon / with the good man in innocency & iuft dealing. He cared nat for the name / it was sufficient to hym to haue the dede / & so / the lesse he cared for glorye / the more alwayes he opteyned. Many suche comparysons very profitable for this intent / are also in Plutarche in his boke of noble mennes lyues.
A goodly ensamble[3] of this place is in the oracyon that Hermolaus
